Actually the title of this post should be "Hope in Jesus Christ while living in 2016, 2017 and Beyond." Emmanuel Baptist Church's theme for 2017 is Transformation.
We know that true, life-long transformation comes only through Jesus Christ.
As we come to the end of 2016 and get ready for 2017, we need to focus on Jesus Christ.
Not the recent election.
Not the upcoming presidential term.
Not Hollywood and the deaths of celebrities in 2016.
Not new cutting edge technology.
Not our circumstances.
We need to focus on the only one who saves us from sin and gives us new life. JESUS CHRIST! Here is the Hope-filled, December 30 devotional from New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp.
Corporate worship is designed to instill vertical hope where horizontal hope has been dashed.
One of the themes of this devotional is hope. Every human being is hardwired for and concerned about hope. We’re all in a constant search for hope that delivers and lasts. We’re all a bit discouraged and paralyzed when our hopes are dashed. When one hope dies, we grab hold of another hope as fast as we can.
The Bible is a hope story. It is about hope misplaced and hope found. It’s about hope that cannot deliver and hope that gives you everything that you need. It’s about where not to look for hope and the only place where true hope can be found. The great hope drama of the Bible is summarized by a few very important words that are buried in the middle of the apostle Paul’s letter to the Romans:
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Rom. 5: 1– 5)
Notice what Paul does here:
- He connects our hope to our justification. We have hope because, by grace, we have been forgiven and accepted by the One who holds everything we need.
- He connects our hope to the glory of God. Our hope is that God will complete his work, getting the glory that is his due. His glory is our good.
- He connects our hope to our sufferings. There is even hope in suffering because in that suffering the God who is our hope is doing good things in us and for us.
- He says that our vertical hope (hope in God) will never put us to shame. This means that all other forms of hope fail us in some way. Hope in created things never delivers what hope in the Creator can.
- He connects our hope to the Holy Spirit who lives inside us. Here is the ultimate reason that you and I have hope— God has made us the address where he lives. This means that the One who can do more than we are able to conceive of is constantly with us and constantly working on our behalf.
Now, that’s hope! As you worship God with other believers and hear the truths of his Word proclaimed, your hope will be rekindled.
For further study and encouragement: Hebrews 6: 9– 20
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